This isn't just a peach pie, it's a ginger peach pie. The fresh minced ginger gives it an extra little ZING! The little kick goes great with the peaches.

My mom says my grandmother used to say the phrase "ginger peachy". I've never heard that used before, but it's similar to "peachy" or "peachy keen", which are ways of saying something is great. That being said, I think this ginger peach pie is "ginger peachy"!

Pie making can be intimidating for some. So I've broken down the steps of the pie, (pie crust especially), to hopefully make this daunting task a bit easier, and more enjoyable.

If I had to choose, I would say I enjoy making pies the most. I don't know what it is about pies, but making them completely from scratch is something to be very proud of. While the saying goes "easy as pie", I'm sure if you've made pie before you know it isn't easy. Eating it, however, IS. But I hope to make it easier for you!

Maybe you'll learn to love pie making like I have.

First I'll show you how to make pie crust. A pie crust tutorial, if you will. I'm planning to eventually do a post devoted fully to pie crusting, but for now, this will do.

Oh, and don't mind the mess. That's just how I work!

And if you don't care for all the pictures and detailed instructions, you can scroll down to the bottom for the recipe.

Pie Crust Tutorial for Ginger Peach Pie / Sprinkled With Jules

Flour, sugar, salt are mixed. I use a food processor for quick and easy pie crust. But a large bowl and a fork work just fine. Or a pastry cutter and a bowl work great too!

Chunks of COLD butter are blended in. Or cut in, with a fork or pastry cutter.

You want small chunks of butter left. Rule of thumb is about the size of peas. I like to keep them a little larger though. Maybe garbanzo bean size?

Ice cold water is pulsed in the mixture just until combined. It will still look crumbly, but when pinched it comes together. You don't want to over mix it or add too much water because it gets gummy. We want to keep those butter clumps cold and clumpy. Butter is our friend here!

Dump it out onto a clean floured surface, and gently coax the dough into two even disks. Be careful not to use the palms of your hands too much. Use your finger tips for as much of the work as possible, because your palms hold more heat, and can make the butter too warm. We want it to stay cold, and avoid the butter mixing in with the dough.

The disks are wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for at least 20 minutes. You can keep them in the refrigerator for a few days like this, or even freeze them in freezer safe bags for up to a few months.

Take one disk out and roll onto a floured surface into a smooth flat round. Make sure to flour the surface, the top of the dough, and your rolling pin. Lift and rotate the dough every few rolls to keep it from sticking.

Smooth and round, yay! Roll it a few inches more in diameter than your pie pan. 12 inches is usually a good size.

Pie Crust Tutorial and Ginger Peach Pie / Sprinkled With Jules

Gently place it into your pie pan, and press sides and bottom down. Trim the edges with a sharp knife. Cover in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until your filling is ready to go in.

Prepare the filling! Blanch peaches, slice, drain excess moisture, and mix with filling ingredients. Do you know how to peel fresh ginger? Because the skin is so paper thin, using a knife will take away a lot of the meat of the ginger. A spoon works great because it easily scrapes the skin off without wasting any of the ginger. To dice it, slice into chunky rounds, and smash with the side of a knife and your fist. (PLEASE be careful!) After they are smashed, the ginger can be diced easily! TA-DA!

Once filling is prepared, it goes in the pie crust. The second disk of dough is rolled out the same way, and is gently placed over the pie.

If needed, gingerly move it around to make sure all the edges are fully covered. Trim any edges if necessary, so there is an even amount of extra dough around all the edges.

Now the dough is tucked under the bottom crust. It may need some gentle pressure to make it form. Tuck all the edges together and then crimp them.

For a simple wavy edge, use your knuckles to create the pattern all the way around.

Slice vents in the middle. Coat in egg wash (egg and milk whisked together), and sprinkle with sugar.

In the oven it goes. Ain't that a beauty?!

Just look at that CRUST!

So flakey. The stuff of dreams.

Flakey, buttery crust. Warm, gooey peachy filling. Perfection!

Ginger Peach Pie:

Crust:

2 1/2 c. flour

1/2 t. salt

2 T. sugar

1 cup butter (2 sticks) cold, cut into cubes

1/2 cup ice cold water

Filling:

5 large peaches peeled and sliced

2 T. flour

1 T. corn starch

1/2 t. cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg

pinch of cloves

2 t. fresh minced ginger

Directions:

For crust:

Combine flour, sugar and salt. Mix in cold cubed butter until butter chunks are a little larger than the size of peas. Slowly mix in ice cold water. Turn out onto floured surface and gently form into two round disks. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

Once refrigerated, roll out one of the disks for the bottom crust. Dust the surface, the dough, and the rolling pin with flour. Turn the dough every few rolls to prevent the dough from sticking.

Place the dough into the pie pan and press the bottom and edges down gently. Cut the crust around the edges. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the filling is ready.

For the filling:

Blanch and peel peaches. Drain excess moisture. Mix together the spices, flour and corn starch. Peel and mince ginger. (See my tutorial above). In a large bowl mix peaches and ginger, and then spices.

Pour filling into pie crust and put back in the refrigerator while you roll out the second crust.

Place the second crust on top of the pie. Trim edges to make the excess crust even around the pie, leaving about 1 inch slack around the edges. Tuck top crust under the bottom crust and gently pinch to form it together.

Then crimp edges with your hands to form a wavy crust.

Cut slits in the pie crust as vents. Coat crust with egg wash. (one egg whisked with 1 T. milk). Sprinkle with sugar.

Place pie on a cookie sheet, and place in preheated oven.

Bake at 375 for 45-50 minutes, until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling.

If crust edges start to brown quickly, place a pie shield on crust (or use foil to cover the edges all the way around) after about 30 minutes of baking.

Let cool for 1 hour before slicing. Letting it cool will help the filling set. Cutting into it too early will reveal a runny filing.

Enjoy!